Former Prime Minister Tony Blair costs British taxpayers £6 million a year to protect while he travels the world earning millions for himself, it has been revealed.

The almost continuous overseas travel which Mr Blair undertakes means that more than 20 special officers have to be assigned to protect him on a rotation basis — at a cost of more than £115,000 a week.

Police protection is extended as a matter of course to former Prime Ministers, but Mr Blair has grievously exploited the practice to the point where his personal security now costs the taxpayer more than the budget to protect the incumbent Prime Minister.

According to reports, Mr Blair is abroad most of the time. His daily bill for bodyguards now runs at more than £16,000 a day.

At the same time, Mr Blair has earned more than £18 million since leaving office in June 2007. Most of this money has been made with contracts in the Middle East, where security for someone who was responsible for the war crime which was the Iraq War is at a premium.

Mr Blair also earns about £100,000 a time to give a speech or appear at an event such as a recent booking to open an energy plant in Kazakhstan.

According to reports, senior Whitehall officials are becoming increasingly uneasy with the expenditure. “It does seem fair that he should make a contribution to the costs of his protection while he is on well-paid private assignments,” an official was quoted as saying.

* Meanwhile, a rare flash of honesty from a MP of the usually utterly corrupt, deceitful and lying Labour Party has admitted that Mr Blair and Mr Brown have left “no legacy” for this country.

Labour MP Ken Purchase, who is stepping down at the next election, said that the “superficial, money-obsessed” Mr Blair had had failed to leave a legacy.